Overview

The research in the Department is wide-ranging, but several themes connect it. Department researchers draw upon whatever tools are needed to answer their questions, bringing together scientific disciplines and methodologies and tapping the expertise of researchers across Penn’s departments and schools and beyond at other universities and research institutions.

The ultimate goal of this interdisciplinary and interinstitutional effort is to translate science into improved clinical care. It’s a responsibility our faculty take seriously and, as the results show, fulfill expertly.

The Department of Psychiatry is well positioned to advance its scientific goals, which are closely aligned with the NIH Roadmap plan and the Penn Medicine strategic plan for research. The Department’s research programs have achieved national prominence through a blend of laboratory and clinical science and strong interdisciplinary, interdepartmental, inter-School, and external collaborations. The Department of Psychiatry has consistently been ranked among the top five nationally in NIH research support among all psychiatry departments.

Using both human and animal studies, Department investigators are continuously striving to advance our understanding of the pathophysiology of major psychiatric diseases by applying genetic strategies and neurobehavioral and neuropharmacological probes. Our diverse research programs, employing creative research methodologies, are truly ‘translational’ - using the insights gained in the laboratory for the benefit of patients, with the ultimate goal of improving treatments and policy.